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C'mon, how can "rising currents of air" keep a heavy glider in the sky?

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Exactly the same way rising currents keep a 500 ton cloud in the sky. (Yup. A good-sized cloud created by a strong thermal weighs about this much.) The mechanism keeping both aloft is exactly the same: the cloud is in air rising faster than its water droplets are falling, while the sailplane pilot stays in air rising faster than the glider is descending.

lift in a sailplane

Submitted by robert jr (not verified) on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 10:09am.

Theres 3 different ways your can get lift in a sailplane.First type is called a thermal.A thermal is rising heat from the ground.To find a thermal it might be tricky, but if u see a bird flying around in circles without flapping its wings thats because of a thermal.
Second is called ridge lift. Ridge lift is found on a side of a mountain, the air flows over a mountain creating a wave that pushes you up. To get lift from ridge lift, fly aloung the side of a mountain, your sure to get some lift.
Lastly the a type of lift that are waves of air catch one your get some lift.

Robert jr.